RATING: 4 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 10:50
A LONG TIME AGO, IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY… wait that’s not right. And now it’s up to us to fix this ship before it’s blasted into space balls.
Step aboard the space ship, U.S.S. Discovery, for a thrilling sci-fi rescue mission! A dangerous cosmic anomaly has left the ship critically damaged and its crew trapped. As newly enlisted crew members, you and your team must race against the clock to repair vital systems, restore power, and save everyone on board. No prior Star Trek knowledge needed—just your wits, teamwork, and courage.
Typically, a ‘rescue mission’ see its Starfleet cadets off to save someone in need, but this time, it’s the U.S.S. Discovery herself that’s in danger. The ship’s power is out, and with it, all controls systems have been lost. There’s very little time remaining to get life support systems online, and to make matters worse, an asteroid field is approaching fast.
Throughout the mission, there are clear, well-placed nods to the popular Star Trek Discovery show which aired on CBS All Access and Paramount+ from 2017 to 2024, such as references to the crew and destinations they’ve traveled across the galaxy. It’s important to stress, however, that while they add a recognizable layer of familiarity for the fans of the show, any prior knowledge of the series or its characters is not required to follow along with this game’s own uniquely self-contained storyworld.
The rescue mission begins in a dimly lit turbolift, struggling under auxiliary power. It’s an appropriately small space without a lot to explore. Successfully re-engaging the space ship’s power will automatically open the turbolift’s horizontally sliding access doors.
Tight chambers open to a much larger open space, presumably representative of Discovery’s engineering bay. Multiple system monitors line every wall, with smaller ones filling in consoles all around the space. Dramatic theatrical lighting accented by brightly glowing LED trim throughout evolves with the mission’s progress, creating its own ‘wow’ moment reveal. This section of the ship is among Escapology’s larges single spaces in any one of their games.
Star Trek Discovery: Damage Control doesn’t just look futuristic; this is Escapology’s most technologically advanced game ever. Throughout the mission, there are no keys or physical locks of any kind. Instead, cadets will make use of every one of the many screens and touchpads that line the ship.
The focus of tasks is always interconnected with the respective control systems they’re aiming to recover. Sometimes, those task directly synergize with Star Trek Discovery, calling back to crew members and their ranks (but don’t worry, no prior knowledge is needed!) Different objectives, though less directly connected to the show still feel very organic for ‘if it were real’ type actions a crew may take to recover their ship. Other times, though, certain tasks did measure a bit long in the tooth, coming across more as busy work than spaceship maintenance. One specific task near the end of our the mission was just tedious enough to make our heads spin a bit.
In the absence of physical locks, this game leads cadets to enter several codes into digital keypads. It’s worth noting that the wording on one of those screens led us to believe it connected to a specific identically named section of the ship. Once that section was completed, it subjected our crew to an extended period without any forward momentum, thinking that other clear codes in our possession must be entered into their own consoles. Although this was a frustrating realization, it could be easily adjusted with better communication, for example, by simply removing the word that also identically links to a work station and replacing it with something that more clearly indicates this touchscreen is for all codes.
Although our crew ran into one or two bumps as we charted course through space, overall, this mission was an impressive one. In the best possible way, it doesn’t feel like an Escapology game at all.
To be clear, that is of course not to say all other Escapology games are bad; much to the contrary – but Star Trek Discovery: Damage Control is a very different departure from their typical flow and style, and it works quite well. There’s just nothing like it anywhere else across the company’s vast portfolio!
We’ve often said that the sign of a good attraction is one which can stand on its own, without any prior familiarity needed from the IP its based on. Star Trek Discovery: Damage Control is that philosophy done right – a recognizable, incredibly popular brand enhanced by multiple easter eggs that deliver just the right amount of fan service to those who want it, while still standing strong for the initiated as a sci-fi adventure that’s out of this world.
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Venue: Escapology
Location: Orlando, FL
Number of Games: 11
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 60 minutes
Capacity: 8 people
Group Type: Private / You will not be paired with strangers.
Cost: $39.99 per person Monday – Thursday, $44.99 per person Friday – Sunday
We thank Escapology for inviting us to play this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.
